Mishary al Afasy-Ramadhan (in Arabic, French & English)

You might want to pause the nasheed already playing on the blog to listen to this.

MashaAllah, it's very beautiful, it really makes your heart go soft..



Here is the video for the english part. All 3 parts have the same video.

SubhanAllah

The crescent moon of the holy month of Ramadan
is seen through festive lights in Amman August 26, 2009.
REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed (JORDAN RELIGION)

SubhanAllah, with the long hot days and the beautiful recitation of Tarawih in the night, you can feel the nurturing that the ruh (soul) receives. All year round, we cater to every whim and fancy of our nafs (our base-self) and our ruh is deprived of what it really needs; having a intimate connection with our creator! Alhamdulillah we have been given the opportunity to witness yet another month of Ramadhan. Not making the most of it would be very pitiful indeed.

Before Ramadhan began, everyone (married ladies) that I talked to would always ask, “Are you ready for Ramadhan (or Ramzan :D)?” Now as you may have seen in one of my resent posts, I am currently doing a Ramadhan program for sisters, and it started before Ramadhan. In the first talk, I mostly talked about preparing our selves, spiritually, for Ramadhan so that we can take maximum benefit of it inshaAllah. I talked about the meaning of Ramadhan and how it’s an opportunity from Allah taa’la to turn back to Him. So, whenever I got asked this question, you know what I’d be thinking that they meant right? But boy was I wrong! I would reply,

“Well, I’m-”

“Oh so what did you (or are you) make(ing)?”

That’s where I would say, “huh?”

“samosas, springrolls…”

Then I realize what they meant. “Oh that! My mum made them all for me. Alhamdulillah.”

And the conversation would continue regarding the food.

It sounds funny, but if you think about it, it’s actually very sad! I mean, this is what happens all the time before every Ramadhan! The ladies prepare for Ramadhan with food and ask one another how many items they’ve made and how much they’ve stocked up in their freezers. What we should be asking one another is, how are you preparing yourself for Ramadhan so that you don’t miss out on the blessings? Have you taken out the TV plug? Have you made a goal for how many times you’ll complete the Qur’an? Are you going to go for Tarawih this year? See, these are the questions, we should be asking (to others as well as, more importantly, our selves). We should be encouraging one another to make the right and much needed preparations for Ramadhan.

Sure, the food is great, but that’s not what Ramadhan and sawm (fasting) is about.
As Imam al-Ghazali (May Allah be pleased with him) puts it,

“It should be known that there are three grades of fasting: ordinary, special and extra-special.

Ordinary fasting means abstaining from food, drink and sexual satisfaction.

Special Fasting means keeping one's ears, eyes, tongue, hands and feet -- and all other organs -- free from sin.

Extra-special Fasting means fasting of the heart from unworthy concerns and worldly thoughts, in total disregard of everything but God, Great and Glorious is He. This kind of Fast is broken by thinking of worldly matters, except for those conducive to religious ends, since these constitute provision for the Hereafter and are not of this lower world.”

You can read the rest of it here and I really recommend it.

So I’m going to ask the obvious question, what level of fast do we want to achieve?

The answer to this rhetorical question obviously is (or it should be) that we want to achieve the highest level possible. Our goal should be to reach for the Extra-special Fasting. At the very least, we should be shooting for the Special Fasting.

All year long we’ve overfed ourselves and sinned beyond comprehension with our tongues (gossip, backbiting, slander, telling lies, etc.), our eyes (checking out the opposite gender, watching things we shouldn’t be watching, etc.), our ears (MUSIC, backbiting, etc.) our hands, our feet, our mind (evil thoughts) and with our heart (hatred, arrogance, jealousy, etc.).

We don’t know how long we’re going to live or if we’re going to get the next Ramadhan. Now is the time to change our habits and to mould ourselves the way we aught to be as true Mu’mineen, in this Most Blessed Month. Once the heat of Ramadhan moulds us, we can carry on our good habits after Ramadhan inshaAllah.

May Allah taa’la give us all the tawfiq (guidance) to take full advantage of this Blessed Month so that we may enter into Jannah and have freedom from the Hell Fire.
May He (subhanhu wa ta’ala) accept all our du’as and ibadah (worship) and forgive our sins whether they reach the heavens or are small like an atom.
May He (subhanhu wa ta’ala) shower the entire Ummah of Sayyidinah Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wassalam) continuously with His infinite mercy, blessings and forgiveness throughout this Blessed Month.

Please remember this sinful sister in your du’as and forgive any shorting comings whether done knowingly or unknowingly.

Also, check out these images of Ramadhan from around the globe.

Ramadan 2009- The Big Picture. They're amazing MashaAllah!

Oh and here is the updated poster with the updated programs that are taking place at IAOS.

And Ramdhan Has Begun, Alhamdulillah

Ramadhan Mubarak!

Yay, it's finally here!

Alhamdulillah the Blessed Month has finally dawned upon us. May Allah (swt) give us the tawfiq to take full advantage of all it's blessings. Ameen!

So here I am, finally updating the blog, which no one probably reads now. For some reason however, I'm still willing to post the "Ramadhan Pictures" from around the world like I always do ever since I started this blog (which also wasn't so long ago :) ) So here they are! Please remember me and my family (along with the rest of this Ummah) in your du'as and forgive any shortcomings of mine.

Boys take a nap in a mosque while waiting to break their fast in Makassar of the Sulawesi province during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan August 24, 2009. Muslims around the world abstain from eating, drinking and conducting sexual relations from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar.REUTERS/Yusuf Ahmad (INDONESIA RELIGION SOCIETY)

A Filipino man embraces Saudi Sheikh Noah to celebrate his conversion to Islam before breaking fast during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan in Riyadh August 24, 2009. Muslims around the world abstain from eating, drinking and conducting sexual relations from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar.REUTERS/ Fahad Shadeed (SAUDI ARABIA POLITICS SOCIETY RELIGION)

A man serves food distributed for free to poor people during breaking fast time, known as iftar, in Cairo August 24, 2009. Muslims around the world abstain from eating, drinking and conducting sexual relations from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar.REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih (EGYPT SOCIETY RELIGION)

A Pakistani boy arranges food stuff for 'Iftar', a time to break the fast, during the holy fasting month of Ramadan, Monday, Aug. 24, 2009 in Lahore, Pakistan. During the Islamic holy month of Ramadan observant Muslims throughout the world refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex from sunrise to sunset.(AP Photo/K.M.Chaudary)

A Palestinian child reacts during a struggle to get a ration of donated food from the Islamic Waqf, during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan in the West Bank city of Hebron, Monday, Aug. 24, 2009. Muslims throughout the world are celebrating the holy fasting month of Ramadan, the holiest month in Islamic calendar, refraining from eating, drinking, and smoking from dawn to dusk.(AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

A Palestinian youth uses a drum to wake up Muslim worshippers for the traditional Ramadan meal before the start of the daily fasting, in Balata refugee camp in the West Bank city of Nablus, Monday, Aug. 24, 2009. Muslims throughout the world are celebrating the holy fasting month of Ramadan, the holiest month in Islamic calendar, refraining from eating, drinking, and smoking from dawn to dusk.(AP Photo/Nasser Ishtayeh)

A crescent moon is seen next to to the King Hussein Bin Talal Mosque in Amman, August 23, 2009, during the holy month of Ramadan. Muslims around the world abstain from eating, drinking and conducting sexual relations from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar.REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed (JORDAN IMAGES OF THE DAY RELIGION)

Plates with fruits are laid as fasting Muslims pray before breaking their fast on the first day of Ramadan in the compound of Jamia (Grand) Mosque in Amritsar, India, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009. During the Islamic holy month of Ramadan observant Muslims throughout the world refrain from eating, drinking, smoking from sunrise to sunset.(AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

A Palestinian man prays, as others rest in the Al-Omari mosque in Gaza City, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009. Muslims throughout the world are celebrating the holy fasting month of Ramadan, the holiest month in Islamic calendar, refraining from eating, drinking, and smoking from dawn to dusk.(AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)

A man prays after reading the Koran at a mosque in Karachi on August 23, 2009. Pakistani Muslims observe the first day of Ramadan on Sunday, the Islamic holy month when Muslims fast from dawn until dusk.REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro (PAKISTAN RELIGION SOCIETY)

Pakistani Muslims offers an evening prayers called 'Tarawih' marking the beginning of the holy fasting month of Ramadan at a road in Karachi, Pakistan. During the Islamic holy month of Ramadan which is starting Sunday, Muslims abstain from food, drink, smoking and sex from dawn until dusk and spend time in prayer and contemplation.(AP Photo/Fareed Khan)

Palestinian girls read the Koran in a mosque on the first day of the holy month of Ramadan in the West Bank city of Nablus August 22, 2009. Muslims around the world abstain from eating, drinking and conducting sexual relations from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar. REUTERS/Abed Omar Qusini (WEST BANK RELIGION SOCIETY)

A Saudi man reads the Koran at Al-Feryaan mosque during the Muslim month of Ramadan in downtown Riyadh August 22, 2009. Muslims around the world abstain from eating, drinking and sexual relations from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar. REUTERS/Fahad Shadeed (SAUDI ARABIA RELIGION SOCIETY)

A Pakistani Muslim recites holy book 'Quran' in Mohabbat Khan mosque in Peshawar, Pakistan on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2009. During the Islamic holy month of Ramadan which is starting Sunday, Muslims abstain from food, drink, smoking and sex from dawn until dusk and spend time in prayer and contemplation. (AP Photo/Mohammad Sajjad)

An Indonesian man examines a giant Muslim holy book of Quran on display in an exhibition held to mark the beginning of the holy fasting month of Ramadan at a hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Aug. 21, 2009. During Ramadan, the holiest month in Islamic calendar, Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex from dawn to dusk. The Quran that was handwritten by two Muslim scholars was 2 x 1.5 meters (6.5 x 4.9 ft.) and weighs at 300 kilograms (660 lbs). (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

A Palestinian Muslim man, decorates an alley of Jerusalem's old city with festive lights in preparation for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Friday, Aug. 21, 2009. The holy month of Ramadan, when observant Muslims fast from dawn to dusk, will begin Saturday. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)

Unidentified Bahraini men search the sky over Hamad Town, Bahrain, on Friday, Aug. 21, 2009, for the new moon that signals the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Several predominately Muslim nations are beginning Ramadan, a month of prayer, fasting and charitable giving, on Saturday. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali)

I'm Back!

As salamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh!

After a nice loooong holiday in good ol' T.O I'm back in Regina getting ready for the most blessed month of the year, Ramadhan! May Allah (swt) give us the ability (and life) to take full benefit (to the max) of the Holy Month.

For those wondering if I miss T.O-- I do. But not that much. Just the thought of Ramadhan getting closer doesn't make me miss it that much. I'm just so excited!!
Yay!

About my summer, I'll explain it when I post the pictures up inshaAllah. Right now, I'm just busy with a Ramadhan Series (Seerah is on hold until after Eid) for sisters in highschool and university. So if you fall under that catagory and live in Regina, come and join us inshaAllah. My wonderful husband (mashaAllah) will also be doing a Family Halaqah this Saturday inshaAllah, so if you don't fall into the former catagory then this one should do it as it is for everyone!




Like the amateur poster? It's by yours truly! As you can see, I'm still new with CorelDraw...more about that later!

Until then, I promise I'll be updating sooner then you think inshaAllah! :)